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CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard awoke with renewed hope today as the latest Newspoll showed the gap between the government and opposition shortening to just six per cent.
Published in today's The Australian, Newspoll found the gap in the two party preferred vote had shrunk from eight to six per cent, although Labor retains an election-winning lead.
The coalition's vote was up one point to 47 per cent and Labor was down one to 53.
As with all polls there is a two per cent margin of error but the six-point gap is the closest the coalition has been to Labor since November last year.
Mr Howard will need all the help he can get this week. The Reserve Bank board meets today with an interest rate rise expected to be announced tomorrow.
If the bank does hike rates it would be the sixth time since the 2004 election which Mr Howard won on the back of a promise to keep interest rates at record lows.
Most economists expect the bank will raise rates by a quarter of a percentage point to try and haul in an economy raging on multiple fronts.
Both Mr Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd will spend today in Sydney while Nationals leader Mark Vaile will campaign in his party's heartland on the NSW north coast.
Newspoll's less important primary vote poll shows the government steady at 42 per cent and Labor down one to 47 per cent, leaving a five percentage point gap between the two major parties. It leaves an important 11 per cent open to "others" including the minor parties and independents.
Newspoll's preferred prime minister poll also offers hope to the government.
Mr Howard is up two points to 43 per cent, back to levels of November last year, before Mr Rudd became Labor leader.
Mr Rudd remained preferred prime minister, although his support was down one point to 47 per cent.
- AAP
